Brooks Ghost Max vs ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 – Battle of the Comfort Cruisers

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

When it comes to the midsole, the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 packs 42mm in the heel and 34mm in the forefoot for an 8mm drop. Meanwhile the Ghost Max packs a slightly lower volume and drop, with 39mm in the heel and 33mm in the forefoot for a 6mm drop.

When it comes to weight, the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 weighs in at 11.1oz or 314g in a UK 8.5. That’s at the heavier end of the daily trainers. The Ghost Max meanwhile is more midweight, tipping the scales at 10.3oz or 293g. 

Price-wise, the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 are $160 – that’s towards the top end of the price bracket for daily trainers. The Ghost Max comes in a chunk cheaper at a more wallet-friendly $150.

Design

The Ghost Max is new to the Brooks line-up and the brand’s first real max stacked shoe. The ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 was updated at the end of 2023 with some minor tweaks including new stiff outsole rubber but it has almost the same setup as the Nimbus 25.

The Nimbus 26 midsole remains largely the same with a big, wide stack of FlyteFoam Blast+ ECO foam that’s made with 20% bio-based content. It’s tuned medium soft to soft with some rebound.

There’s the familiar PUREGel heel insert – a section of very springy, rebounding material incorporated into the midsole – to create soft, cushioned landings with maximum impact absorption. You also get a rockered midsole geometry that aims to smooth transitions.

The Ghost Max features soft DNA Loft V2 foam in its big stack. That’s also tuned medium soft to soft and there’s rockering here too.

Both shoes balance their big midsole stacks with broad, wide cushioned platforms to run off to enhance the overall stability. They also both use rockers to smooth transitions from heel to toe.

When it comes to the uppers, up top the Ghost Max has engineered mesh uppers. While the Nimbus 26 sports new engineered stretch knit uppers. The Nimbus 26 uppers are thicker with slightly less flex. There’s big padded heel collars on both shoes and the Ghost Max non-gusseted tongues are more padded and traditional than the Nimbus’ stretchy, knitted and gusseted tongues.

Flip them over and you’ll find liberal coverings of quite thick outsole rubber on both shoes. There’s a few more exposed areas on the Nimbus 26 than the Ghost Max.
 
But all the important areas are well covered on both shoes and that bodes well for overall durability.

Fit

In testing I ran in my regular UK 8.5 running shoe size in both shoes. In the Nimbus 26, the fit for me was good with the plush step-in comfort you expect here. The padded collars hold the heels well, the tongues boost the plushness and the uppers wrap quite snugly but there’s ample room in the toe box and enough flex to feel spacious. I got decent lace lock down across the midfoot, too. Comfort and fit here is reliable and I’d recommend going true to size.

Overall, I preferred the Ghost Max fit. It wraps the foot more closely overall and is a little more compact in the toe box in length and volume. But I would recommend going true to size in both shoes.

Performance

In my run tests I’ve covered north of 40 miles in the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 and around 45 miles in the Brooks Ghost Max. That’s at a mix of paces, with some good duration runs in both and on a combination of road and light off road river paths.
I also ran a side by side mile to really tease out the differences.

It turns out those differences are quite nuanced. These shoes feel very, very similar on fit and how they hold, the plush comfort and the generally roomy toe boxes.

You’re left in no doubt that these are plush cushion cruisers made to go long and slow in comfort. When I tested the Ghost Max versus the Nimbus 25, I said that Brooks had basically made a Nimbus but made it slightly better. That still rings true with the Nimbus 26.

I don't think the Nimbus 26 has progressed. The stiffer rubber outsole makes the whole ride more rigid, slappy and a little bit less comfortable than the ride of the Ghost Max.

The Ghost Max lands somewhat flatter. You feel the difference in that midsole stack volume where you've got extra cushioning under the heel in the Nimbus 26. So if you want a bit more protection under the heels, you might enjoy that.

But I find the Ghost Max rolls through a little bit easier, quicker and more naturally. For me now I've just done that mile I prefer the ghost Max. Basically, the ride is just a little bit more natural, I think they roll through better. These are both big shoes but the Ghost Max is somewhat more precise and compact.

Choosing between these two shoes will come down to margins. You could buy either for the purpose of running easy and slow– those long recovery miles – and you'll get a good performance. The Ghost Max ride is slightly better when you pick up the pace.

My Verdict

Before I get into the verdict on the Ghost Max versus the Nimbus 26, first up I’m going to sayI much prefer the Nimbus 25 and I’d recommend that over the 26. You can read my thoughts on that in our ASICS Gel Kayani vs Gel Nimbus 25 head to head.

Why am I raising that, well for me the 26 is a bit more slappy and not quite as smooth as its predecessor and that makes it a much closer call between the Nimbus 25 and the Ghost Max.

However, there’s still not much to choose between the Brooks Ghost Max vs ASICS Gel Nimbus 26 on comfort, fit, stability or durability. These shoes are strikingly similar but you notice the extra weight in the Nimbus 26 but it’s really the midsole ride that’s where you feel the biggest difference. 

The Ghost Max are more immediate, more responsive. So while they’re a match for the Nimbus 26 for the cushioned easy protection, they’re also better at the faster paces because of that slightly firmer, snappier response.

I don’t think ASICS made the Nimbus better this generation and for my money Brooks basically made a shoe that's incredibly Nimbus-like but with more versatility, a more natural disappearing feel and ten bucks cheaper. For those reasons I’d recommend the Ghost Max over the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26.

Beyond these two shoes I’d also recommend looking at the New Balance 1080v13 and the Saucony Ride 17 as good options. The Brooks Glycerin 21 is also a faster tuned, more versatile alternative to the Nimbus.